Meanwhile, registered nurses enrolled in graduate level, degree-granting colleges and universities in selected regions of the US may be eligible to apply for a Promise of Nursing Regional Faculty Fellowship (PON Fellowship). The PON Fellowship is designed to assist registered nurses who are preparing for the nurse educator role to achieve their degrees.

And of course LifeBridge Health offers tuition reimbursement options for both nursing and non-nursing students who are seeking degrees. Approximately 530 LifeBridge Health employees benefit from the tuition reimbursement program each year.

In general, an employee is eligible for tuition reimbursement if he or she has been employed for one month or longer. He or she can receive up to $5,000 per school year. Students must receive a grade of “C” or better to qualify, and the rate is prorated based on part-time verses full-time status. Courses must directly relate to an employee's current position, or for one which the employee can be promoted to within LifeBridge Health.

One example of how this works is Jennifer Skeete, a nurse in the Ambulatory Surgery department at Sinai, who has been using the tuition benefit since 2003. She says it's an incentive to advance her career while also relieving some of the financial burden. Jennifer is enrolled at Stevenson University and completed her bachelor of science degree in nursing.

“Now, I’m enrolled at the University of Maryland School of Nursing to earn an M.S.N. in Nursing Informatics," Jennifer says. "My ultimate goal is to stay within Sinai in the Information Systems department. The tuition reimbursement benefit gives me an incentive me to advance my career at a cost that I can afford."

The reimbursement also reflects Sinai's commitment to its Magnet hospital status, a designation showing excellence in nursing.

To learn more about the benefits of working for LifeBridge Health, visit LifeJobs. If you are a current employee and need additional information, contact Employee Services at 2-8000.